Found a great hackable gamepad for cheap!

[unhuman]

$4.99, digital USB, 10 buttons!  Very hackable with easy solder points.

http://www.electronicsboutique.com/ebx/categories/products/product.asp?pf_id=207930

I bought 4, but haven't tested to see how many I can connect to the computer at once...  Hopefully it'll work!

-Howie

[Hellfromabove]

Tell me how it goes man, might just have to go pick up a couple for myself tommorrow . Thanx.

-See Ya!!!

[SNAAAKE]

WOW ! ! !  
I need some of these too...post back the result.
$5 for usb pad sound like a deal allright !  

[armad1ll0]

I bought a bunch of them before too. I got two of them as low as $1.99.

I'll tell you, they are only good for hacking cause the buttons and housing suck on them. They use generic HID drivers so it works fine. The only thing is that there are multiple grounds. Unless you are good at mapping out the PCB then most guys will run both wires to each of the buttons.

There are rumors that the Saitek 150 USB has a common ground and I'm looking for them.

[paigeoliver]

Before you go hacking those pads up to make your dream panel.

Label each pad with the player number, and then turn your computer on and off a few times and watch as they randomly switch positions each and every time you reboot.

[unhuman]

Regarding common ground...  There are several common grounds, but you can trace wires so you'll only need 3 common grounds - ie some of the buttons are grounded together, the joystick/pad is grounded together, etc.  I'm not saying they're all together, as I haven't quite completed mine yet, but it looks like I can get done with 3 wires for ground off the pad.

[armad1ll0]

document document document!!! I did it once and I never have to figure it out the grounds again.

In Win98 I have two used in my ArcadePC and they don't swap around.

[paigeoliver]

Maybe it varies with different motherboards and gamepads, but both of my computers randomly swap around identical USB gamepads on every reboot (only identical ones, different models maintain position).

[IIOIOOIOO]

Paige. Try plugging them in off of different USB headers, or into different USB ports. I've seen this problem manifest itself in people using a crummy USB hub.

[unhuman]

I finally tried the controllers...  3 of them work together.  The 4th is on my workbench, but I gotta assume if 3 work, so would 4.

Good luck!

-Howie

[unhuman]

I finally got my gamepad off my workbench and into a joystick.  I have 8 of 10 buttons used and used 3 common grounds.  It worked first try, that's how easy it was to trace the paths of the buttons...

-Howie